I know I know it’s been a while since I did a post, but between being a design student and juggling all the projects, it has been of helluva ride. A moment to Thank you all for sticking around and never failing to recheck if there has been a post. You guys are the best.

One of the firsts things that I had planned was the review for Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week before Pakistan’s FPW kicks off. A host of designers, showcased and it would be impossible for me to do reviews of them all, since there were quite a few many, therefore I picked out the ones that I felt made a certain sort of . So in random order, here you go…

PéroOne of my personal favorites, Aneeth Arora of Pero knows exactly where she wants to take the brand and strives for it. Instead of being ‘on-trend’ she strives for a certain look, styling and image that resonates with the brand. Bohemian, feminine, and wearable. Working with Afghan refugee women, the collection incorporated a lot chanderi tunics and kaftans, silk slips, cotton and linen jackets, a couple of all over embroidered waistcoats, cotton gauze dresses some fluorescent needlework on the collars, crocheted inners and blouses, silk jumpsuits with lace, tunics with beaded yokes, denim trousers with hand-embroidered hems, check print shorts, linen tops with floral cut work. Very Parisian in its aesthetic, yet rooted within a traditional aesthetic with a contemporary language, Aneeth Arora’s take on certain shapes is unique to her, so much so that it is almost an adjective. The international appeal of the collection makes sure that it is relevant in any part of the world despite remaining traditional. The international buyers would be waiting to grab it. Her showcasing of collections on foreign lands has exposed her well to hone her aesthetics without much compromise. The cheekyness with the flourscent sneakers, added the perfect humor to the petite feminity of the demure collection throughout the presentation. Even though feminine, the collection did not shy away from expressing its aesthetic that this was for a woman who was more of a wanderer in the artsy world yet aware of her surroundings.

NIDA MAHMOODOne of the foremost queen of kitsch right from her maachis collection, Nida Mahmood has always been the non conformist in her own right. Playing the desi tune, the designer, of late, seems to her turned down the dial on the crazyness that we witnessed earlier and continue to do so now but in moments rather than being all out. Charmed by the Iranian cafes in Mumbai, this was Mahmood’s interpretation on them in her possibly most commercial outing yet. Not that it is bad, rather it is important for business, for crazies like us, we expect fun stuff from the daredevil designer. Interpreting the old world charm, the Nida Mahmood way, she does not veer away from her aesthetic giving us range of fun prints in dresses and signature saris while going down the nostalgic trip. With stories of people interpreted as garments, it was a presentation laced with a bit of nostalgia and a bit of fun. My fav has to be the tiffin used as an accessory. Printed dresses, crop tops, palazzos, and saris…. send this to the stores already.

URVASHI KAURAh! a sucker for traditional techniques like tie and dye done well, Urvashi Kaur’s collection was just that. Languid silhouettes, blues blacks and cremes and easy going vibe, urvashi kaur pretty much successfully brought forth laid back shapes onto the forefront. The belted tie and dye saris were probably the stars of the presentation that was relaxed and easy on the eyes and fluid in its execution. The tie and dye, prints and lines added were used cleverly, complimenting each other without much fuss in an organic mix of prints that work well together so much so that you could visualize almost everything how it could be dressed up or dressed down. But it is strictly for those who have an organic taste in clothes and an easy vibe rather than a polished look.

WENDELL RODRICKS:
Eleiminating color throughout and restricting himself to white, Wendell Rodricks presented an ode to the handloom fabric and weaves in a collection that brought forth the quality of weaves along with his breezy silhouettes. The designer’s goan aesthetic was hard to miss despite the absence of riot of colors that he is known for. Using handloomed fabrics, the designer did not elude the flirty beachy vibe despite the clean palette, structure and linear elements through the collection. Possibly his most restrained outing yet, the minimal presentation to glorify the handloomed fabric, he presented a very chic collection that was very polished (a hard task to do with handloomed fabric since they mostly carry off an earthen vibe with them), and one definitely to pick up if one is headed to the beaches or a retreat to the tropics.

MASABA GUPTA
The firecracker designer (all puns intended there) presented a patakha collection (i am on fire.. oh a pun within a pun :P) that was right up in her alley. While the digital prints is a recent development in Masaba’s aesthetic and she is still experimenting with it, she is not afraid to go all out in her presentation. With firecracker prints and the FUCKIN brilliant use of firecrackers as parandaas, the designer’s presentation hit quite a few high notes. The oversized metallic neckpieces were another fun elements that were hard to miss. The mix of prints and solids, the collection comprised of draped silhouettes that sort of reminded me of Masaba’s earlier collections esp her first one. along with a mix of her work earlier this year. Straight pants, cropped culottes, dhoti pants and pleated shalwars, some really interesting lower garment options out there that were styled to a T. This crack-a-lickin collection (yes had to do another one) might not be everyone’s cup of tea but a perfect fit for the Masaba girl who is as vivacious as fiery as those prints that she used this time arond.

EKA
To be honest, I had not heard of EKA before I started reviewing the collection therefore I had no image of the brand or the philosophy that it tended to follow therefore there were no preconcieved notions. One of the newer names to feature this time around on the fashion circuit, EKA’s presentation caught my eye primarily because of the its masterful execution of cotton summer casuals with an ease that sometimes eludes even the most veterans. If I had to compare just for fun, it reminded me in places of Pero due to its boho vibe. The restraint that the brand displayed in probably it’s debut outing was highly commendable considering how OTT people do tend to become. The pastel and blush tones, the feminine easy look was perfect for upcoming summers and one of the major reasons why it stood out from quite a few many debutantes… Simplicity, it can sometimes do wonders and the right accessories (those desert boots with those outfits were a complete winner) that compliment your collection perfectly. Sometimes you do not need to make a splashy statement just for the sake of it, Less and thought out is definitely sometimes MORE